Robinson Crusoe meets Apollo 13 in this tale of a smart-ass engineer stranded on the surface of Mars when his mission goes horribly wrong. The near-future novel, written by one of NASA’s own, presents an ultra-plausible fight for survival against astronomical odds. Mark Watney caries this problem-solving love letter to the space program with wit, determination, and MacGyver-esque abilities.

The book’s weakness lies in its greatest strength, a singular focus on survival. But you won’t care. You’ll be too busy trying to save Mark Watney. I listened to The Martian on audiobook. The story, mainly told through mission logs, is perfect for this format.

That said, I loved the book enough to order a paperback.

Ridley Scott will be directing a film version, but you should really give Andy Weir‘s novel a read.

To say I use my iPad (Air 2) a lot is an understatement. I write novels on it. It holds lecture notes for my college classes. It’s perfect for prototyping user interface designs, updating websites, and keeping up with the latest meltdown on the web. The only concession I’ve had to make is carrying a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard in my bag for long typing sessions.

Issue 12 of Shroud includes an interview Mike Knost did with me and a new short story.

Synopsis:

“Ghost in the Machine” takes place in a near future where Democrats and Republicans are minority parties, and the Sons of Liberty control the White House and Congress. Third-party politics, torture bans, and a mysterious “Ghost Program” conspire to change the course of the nation.

Review:

“GHOST IN THE MACHINE by Jerry Gordon, from the Spring 2012 issue of Shroud magazine. This is my first experience reading a Jerry Gordon short story, and I’ll be back for more. (I’m more familiar with Jerry’s work as Maurice Broaddus’ co-editor on the DARK FAITH books.) In “Ghost,” Jerry takes a shot at modern politics in what seems to be a slightly dystopian near-future. We don’t get many details of the world: somehow San Diego has been destroyed and in the aftermath, both Democrats and Republicans have fallen in favor to a new party, the Sons of Liberty. The public isn’t aware of the use of mind-reading spies to keep various politicians in line .. but our main character, John Wexler, knows just how well they work. Especially once he becomes a target himself. Gordon introduces the concept so subtly that at first I thought he was talking about regular spies (with lines like “well, let the ghosts do their work…”), until the realization hit that these are, in effect, psychic hit-men. I won’t give away the twist the story takes, but I will say it was highly satisfactory.”

Google revised its search engine algorithms to favor mobile devices this month. The old website was decidedly not phone friendly and already in need of a refresh. So welcome to the new digital home. We built up some equity in the old place and then traded up.

More square footage. Room to expand. You get the idea. For you that means a much cleaner, mobile-friendly interface and more regular updates.

Grab a drink out of the fridge and make yourself at home.

“I will tell you the beginning;
and, if it please your ladyships,
you may see the end;
for the best is yet to do.”